Lorna_Henderson

Hello and a huge Happy New Year to you all. Apologies for being a little slack on the blog front, but I promised to update the site soon. I lost a few entries and got caught up with the festivities! I have also decided to extend my stay, I couldn't face a dark January so I have changed my flight and I'm now due back on 28th February. I am currently in Hyderabad searching for pearls. Lots of love to all Lxx... read more

We had planned to get the bus from Alleppey but ended up with a taxi, I think we were getting too used to our comforts, but it was a hassle free if cramped ride along the coast. When we arrived there was no room at the inn and annoyingly the mobile number, we had all been trying for the past few weeks with no luck, worked - it really is hit and miss sometimes with the communications. Plus we’d been driving round and round the town trying to avoid the taxi man’s commission hotels and then to top it off the resident elephant was blocking our path; needless to say it was a tad stressful in the midday heat but we dumped our bags, had some food and Jess and Sue set off to find some ... read more

After a rather excitable breakfast with presents, cards and stockings (thank you Santa, aka Jess), we set off decked up in our Santa hats singing carols, much to the amusement of all, to the harbour to find our barge. What we saw left us pretty much speechless with joy, it was so worth the few extra pounds and we jumped on board by far the nicest kettuvallum (converted rice barge), which came with a captain, cook and boat boy, moored along the canal to explore the network of palm fringed waterways that line the coast and meander inland. We headed out over a large lake, past little villages, arable land, churches, mosques, temples, schools, women washing, men fishing and listening to incredibly loud music, hoards of quacking ducks, processions of pilgrims dressed all in yellow with ... read more

The train was full of students returning home for the holidays and totally packed, it reminded me of the long haul back from Aberdeen with just pennies to your name and sharing BLT’s. We almost missed our stop and had to make a made rush through the crowds to the exit until one gentleman politely mentioned that “Madames the train will wait’ The station was like a ghost town, I think we were the only people to disembark and any minute I expected a tumble weed to roll past, eerie… This time we had booked ahead and made our way to the heritage hotel. Unfortunately we weren’t staying in the actual old house with wooden structures, lime washed walls and cement floors but had a whole flat to ourselves; 2 double A/c rooms with ensuites, a ... read more

The area of Kochi consists of a cluster of islands within a natural harbour, main land Ernakulam and narrow peninsulas; it’s an eclectic mix of religious and colonial influences, parts makes you feel like your taking a tour through the different sections of the V&A museum. We arrived in Ernakulam at the decent hour of 8am and all squeezed, with bags, into the Ferrari of autos, setting off over various bridges and Willingdon Island, past the Navy practicing manoeuvres in the bay to Fort Cochin. A district on the edge of the Southern Peninsular. First to breakfast and dump the bags while Gill and I set off in search of rooms. It was good to be back in a commercial area and actually be able to make choices for ourselves, when/ what to do and eat, ... read more

Having checked the previous evening that Jess's flight had left Blighty on time, we made the early morning jaunt to the now familiar Bangalore airport and sat back with a coffee to await Miss Lewingtons arrival. It was great to see her familiar face again and after a few tears and hugs we were soon whizzing back along the streets to the hotel. A quick chai and we left Jess to snatch a few hours sleep while we headed off to the supermarket, my first in India, to stock up on supplies and antibiotics! Oh we could have spent hours exploring all the produce - a curry cooks heaven; a myriad of exotic fruits, spices, breads, popads and snacks. It looks quite a bit of persuasion to get Sue away from the bombay mix! Refreshed we ... read more

A long hard day that wasn't helped by the fact that we weren't feeling particularily well; and after arriving in Bangalore at 6am we had to wait a further 2 hours in a little restaurant with the world's worst loo, no kidding!, till the train booking office opened. Our careful plans kept changing as all the seats were unavailable and each time we had to return to the back of the queue to start again.... Eventually we had some tickets heading vaguely in the right direction. We just about managed to get a taxi, pop to Fab India for a quilt, check Jess's flight had left on time and dribble back to the Club for room service and sleep. It's such a shame as we'd planned to have a evening 'lounging' and enjoying Bangalore's amazing restaurants ... read more

I’d booked the 8.00am (for a lie-in) train to Chennai not knowing that it would stop at every local station along the way and we didn’t arrive until 4pm in the afternoon, too late to catch the bus to Mamallapuram, so joy of joys we hired a white Ambassador cab, such luxury. All three of us squeezed in the back and we were chauffeured through the beeping traffic of Chennai and onto the coastal toll road to Mamallapuram aka Mahabalipuran or as we pronounced it Mummamallipurammmmum… - a coastal village that promised great seafood and a chance to chill in the surrounds of ancient carvings and temples. We had been trying to call ahead to book accommodation, but the codes had all changed, I assume a result of the tsunami, so we settled ourselves down for ... read more

Well I survived my Indian "easyjet' flight to Bangalore, it was odd to fly after so many months of travelling around in clapped out old buses, trains, scooters and cycle rickshaws - it felt so modern and a little alien! Bangalore is definitely a fast developing city with the traffic to match; think M25 during rush hour without the lanes and throw in a meddle of other vehicles, animals, people, horns, flashing lights and smartly dressed traffic cops directing the flow - no one takes any notice of the traffic lights! It's one of the main technology centres in India and the road infrastructure has not kept up with the rapid expansion. Negotiating the roads and pollution, I arrived at the Indrianagar Club, a rather posh 80's styled sports & social club in a very nice ... read more

Goa Thurs 30th Nov - Wed 6th Dec I arrived in Palolem early afternoon after a cab ride through the bluegums and cashew nut forests that line the Goan coast, my head full of American styly religious preachings - the taxi driver was very devout and set of in search of a Banyan tree. I'd been highly recommended the River Valley accom nearby the tree and functioning on pure adrenalin in the hot sun with my heavy bag, I dribbled along the pristine sand beach, past restaurants, fishing boats, sunbathers, cows and dogs. Success, I found my home for the next few days, a little bamboo hut on stilts looking out over the river through coconut trees and hammocks, there was even a resident yogi! Lying in bed the first morning I plucked up the courage ... read more